


[mis]communication

by Shinkirou



Category: Dissidia Duodecim: Final Fantasy, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Timelines, Ambiguous Relationships, Daily December, Gen, Gift Fic, I Don't Even Know, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 18:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinkirou/pseuds/Shinkirou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's all in how you say it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	[mis]communication

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chaos_Silk (CrimsonChaos)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonChaos/gifts).
  * Translation into Español available: [[Mis] Communication](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2890916) by [Zahaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zahaki/pseuds/Zahaki)



> Bingo square was "better as friends".

Squall is suspicious from the first time Kuja shows up, sensing that something is just… Not quite right with him. It might have something to do with the fact that he never sticks around very long – just appears out of nowhere, tugs Zidane aside and tells him something useful, and then disappears again. Squall can’t help but wonder if Kuja’s playing double agent, but his advice hasn’t led them down the wrong path yet, and so Squall holds his tongue and observes quietly.

There’s another thing that bothers him, though, and that’s how overjoyed Zidane seems every time Kuja shows up. There’s nothing wrong with being happy, of course, but Zidane’s blatant joy reads to Squall almost like surprise, and so one day he asks, as casually as he can (which probably misses casual by a mile, but whatever), “So, what’s the deal with you and Kuja?”

Zidane just blinks at him like he doesn’t understand the question, and then he frowns and Squall wonders if he hit some unseen nerve. Zidane seems to get over it quickly enough, though he still seems almost sad when he says, “We make better friends.”

… Which wasn’t exactly what Squall was expecting, admittedly. When he asks Bartz’s opinion on it, Bartz looks just as shocked as Squall feels.

“What do you think he meant by that?” Bartz asks, eyes wide, but then he glances away. “I mean, I guess it’s none of our business…”

Squall shrugs. As if he hadn’t been asking Bartz because he _himself_ didn’t know what Zidane had meant. Still, even as Bartz shrugs it off, it’s obvious they’re both thinking about it over the next few days, or whatever counts as days in this world, until Kuja appears again.

Squall and Bartz both immediately look at Zidane, rather than keeping their eyes on Kuja as usual. Now that they’re looking, Zidane does seem awfully… Clingy, towards Kuja. And more than that, Kuja seems to just tolerate it, but he definitely never makes to cling back. Zidane tugs on Kuja’s sleeve, and Kuja glances down at him, annoyance flickering over his features briefly before it disappears. Zidane ignores it, and asks, “Can’t you stay for a little bit this time?”

Kuja shakes his head, but makes no motion to remove Zidane from his sleeve. Still, something about it strikes Squall as little more than acceptance, like Kuja’s simply given up trying to stop Zidane. When he glances at Bartz, Bartz winces and mouths, silent, “Should we leave them alone?”

Squall shrugs, and Kuja finally seems to remember they’re present, because he looks up from Zidane (who still hasn’t released Kuja’s sleeve) and tells them that Ultimecia (“that annoying crone”) and The Emperor (“cocky short-sighted fool”) seem to be working together, and that they – Squall in particular – should be careful, as well as whoever is the Emperor’s opponent.

Squall agrees to have the message passed onto Firion, and then Kuja’s attention is lost to them again as he glares down at Zidane again. Zidane just says, tugging childishly, “Come onnnn, you can stay for a bit, can’t you? You always leave so fast and take forever to come back.”

Kuja sighs, just as Squall motions to Bartz that perhaps they should leave, “Zidane, you must be aware that I am more than capable of looking after myself...”

Bartz nods, apparently sensing the same thing Squall is, and Bartz interjects, “Hey, Zidane, we’re gonna go find Firion and pass on Kuja’s message, okay?”

Zidane glances over at them, then positively beams at them before smirking up at Kuja, “Well now you can’t leave, you wouldn’t risk me being attacked would you?”

Squall and Bartz make their exit, unwilling to stick around as they catch Kuja giving the both of them an absolutely murderous glare, because if Zidane’s stories are true, Kuja’s not exactly the type of person they want to piss off.

Or, at least, they don’t want to stick around for it.

In all actuality they don’t wander very far – they both know that actually, Kuja _will_ risk Zidane getting attacked, because it’s not like they haven’t gone their separate ways before. It’s only a matter of minutes before Zidane is jogging towards them, grinning widely, cheeks flushed.

Squall looks at Bartz, and Bartz nods. They really need to figure this out, ‘their business’ or not. Squall still doesn’t trust Kuja, and they don’t want Zidane getting hurt, so Bartz offers, “So, um. Did you two… Talk things over? Work past your differences?”

Zidane blinks, tilting his head, the absolute picture of confusion, “Whadda ya mean?”

Bartz coughs, and Squall vaguely considers feeling sorry for shoving this admittedly strange job on him, but it’s not like anyone else can do it and they really have to know. Bartz tries again, “You know, with… You and Kuja. Everything is back to normal between you two?”

Zidane’s eyebrow raises incredulously, “Why, do you two think something was wrong?” and then he looks startled, going from confused to concerned almost instantly, “Was he injured or something?”

Squall shakes his head at the same time as Bartz says, “No, nothing like that. Just… Y’know. You seemed really happy when you showed up, just wondering if you and Kuja talked things over.”

Now Zidane is honestly frowning. “Uh, actually I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why would I need to ‘talk things over’ with Kuja? Seriously, did you guys notice something I didn’t?”

Squall can’t take this indirectness anymore – it’s getting them nowhere, and they’re wasting time, so he interjects before Bartz can try again, “He means did you two ‘kiss and make up’ or whatever you needed to do.”

It’s absolutely dead silent for a few seconds, while Zidane stares at them, apparently uncomprehending…

… and then he starts laughing hysterically. Before long, he’s doubled over on the ground holding his stomach and sucking down huge gulps of air every few seconds. He tries to speak though his laughs, but all that comes out is incomprehensible gasping, and it’s a few minutes of Squall and Bartz standing there awkwardly exchanging glances, wondering if they broke Zidane, before Zidane calms down enough that he can manage, “You thought… Kuja and I… Oh, I can’t, it hurts…!”

There are tears in his eyes from laughing so hard at this point, and Squall has half a mind to kick him in the back, irritated, but then Zidane struggles into sitting up, shaking his head. “No, I meant… Oh, I’m sorry, you two thought…” He coughs, wiping his eyes, and then tries again, gasping for air every few words, “No, Kuja and I are not – and never were - _together_. Oh, man, you’ve been thinking that since I said… Okay, no, I meant we make better friends _than enemies_ , not than...” Zidane gestures with his hand, chuckling quietly to himself, “Whatever you thought we were.”

Bartz looks about as embarrassed as Squall feels, but Zidane is still laughing every few seconds, so it’s obvious that he’s not offended or anything, just amused by their mistake. Zidane wipes his eyes one last time, and adds, “Besides, could you really see Kuja letting _anyone_ that close?”

Squall doesn’t mention that, no, not _'anyone'_ , but Zidane himself might not be too far of a stretch. Sure, Kuja doesn’t exactly act warm and cuddly all the time, but Squall’s fairly certain that if there ever was going to be anyone Kuja allowed ‘that close’, it would be Zidane. Instead, Squall just shrugs, and says, “You should learn to communicate better.”

Zidane laughs again briefly, assuming that Squall is only talking about between them, “Yeah, I guess that did sound kind of ambiguous.” He scratches the back of his head sheepishly, and grins before adding, “Sorry.”

Squall nods and offers a hand which Zidane takes, pulling himself up almost lazily. Bartz turns, humming, and declares, “I bet we’ll find Firion… That way!” picking a seemingly random direction, and Squall hears Zidane laugh from behind him, along with the noise of Zidane brushing off his jeans, before he adds, “Oh yeah? Well I bet he’s the opposite direction!”

Squall sighs to himself, wondering yet again how he managed to get stuck with the two most hyperactive children, before pausing so they can debate which way they should _actually_ go.

If Zidane glances back to where they’d last seen Kuja with an affectionate look on his face when he thinks Squall and Bartz aren’t paying attention, neither Squall nor Bartz comment on it.

Zidane _did_ say he was an actor, after all. Who can know if he was telling the truth?

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic from Daily December (which I failed) that never managed to make it here.


End file.
